The book is structured around a coherent central theme: the cultural and social basis of democracy in the Italian experience. In particular, it discusses the Italian political system, since Italy is the only country to have experienced the entire party system collapse and facing a crisis that seems endless. This work examines Italian democracy focusing on its territorial dynamics throughout the last two centuries. From the particular context of Italian democracy, the author explores the new cleavage that advances in all consolidated democracies and identifies the reasons for its present crisis and possible ways out.

Marco Almagisti is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Padua, where he directs the "Giorgio Lago" Interdepartmental Centre for Territorial Studies. He is also the Editor of the journal "Altopiano. Rivista di analisi politica”. In 2015 he founded the Politics and History Standing Group within the Italian Political Science Association (SISP).